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River Ridge Girls Tennis Team Keeps Undefeated Streak Alive

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: March 7, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - At first glance, it is hard to tell just how this year's River Ridge girls tennis team will fare compared to last season's regional qualifying squad.

On one hand, the Top 2 Lady Knights have returned to lead the program that rolled through its 2008 regular season unscathed.

On the other, three graduated seniors are now absent.

Although the loss of players like Kristin Greenup, Brittany Hahn and Erin Miller is exceedingly difficult, head coach Doug Howery said the question marks are not holding back realistic aspirations to match last season's production.

"They've got some expectations," he said of his players. "They want to go back to where they were last year, but that's going to take some work. We lost three seniors and that's a big hole to fill."

Softening the blow is the presence of two experienced sophomores who are each top-caliber tennis players. Nicola Wellman, No. 1, and Tijana Subotic, No. 2, have the Lady Knights undefeated at 5-0 and offer the team of only one senior some added leadership.

"They're taking a little bit more of that role," Howery said. "Brittney (Fiorentino), who's a senior, is taking more of the vocal role of leadership."

Wellman said that leading and instructing has been mostly a group effort thus far.

"Since we only have one senior, we're all trying to be leaders. We're all guiding each other right now."

Howery added that both girls have further improved their games from last season, identifying better strength overall and more consistent ground strokes.

As for the No. 3 through 5 seeds, Howery has, in order, Jordan Garcia, Fiorentino and Taylor Laroue filling out the match-day roster. While only Garcia has much singles experience from last season, all three played are progressing capably, he said.

Next week's grinding schedule will give Howery a much clearer look at his team's future chances. River Ridge first hosts Wiregrass Ranch on Tuesday afternoon and then travels to Orlando to face New Smyrna Beach, the team who ousted them from regionals 4-3 last year.

Looking even that far down the road, though, is not something Howery or Wellman said they are doing at this point.

"It's a good group of kids and they're starting to gel together," Howery said, "but we're not taking anybody for granted, that's for sure. We know we have to take it one match at a time."

The coach's main concern at the moment is simply trying to keep everybody in action, he said, mentioning a flu bug that has downed a few of his girls already this season.

Wellman's and Subotic's combined presence on the court each match has lessened the pressure. Howery's current No. 1 was down for about three weeks last season.

"Nicola's healthy this year and that was a big concern last season," he said. "It's nice having her and Tijana paired up one-two. It's definitely an advantage to us."

For the Lady Knights to keep their undefeated regular season streak alive and repeat as district champions, that combination's continued health will likely be the critical factor.

"A lot of things have to go right to repeat what we did last year," Howery said. "We've got to be healthy. Can we play tennis? Yes. But we've got to be on the court to do it."

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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